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Startup Builds "Phishing Drills"Startup Builds "Phishing Drills"

A startup is selling phishing drills to small businesses worried about their cybersecurity.

Samuel Steinberger, Senior Technology Editor

March 16, 2020

1 Min Read
phishing

There’s a company participating in a famous tech incubator program that wants to bring phishing to firms across the country. But the phishing attacks from Y Combinator participant Riot aren’t malicious, they’re designed to train employees how to respond if bad actors target their firm, according to a TechCrunch report.

Riot is able to test employees with fake phishing attempts that look like they come from Microsoft, Slack, Dropbox and Google, as well as leaving unbranded voicemails for employees. The campaigns can be built by administrators and the frequency with which employees are tested can be set to as frequently as every 45 days, per the report. 

Administrators running the campaigns will have a dashboard showing which employee fell for the trick and who avoided a mishap. Employees that fail Riot’s phishing attempt can be assigned security training, which works on both desktop and mobile. 

CEOs are next on the design timeline. Company leaders are subject to a different flavor of attacks, from spoofs requesting an assistant to buy gift cards to emails that look like they’re coming from an accounts or payroll department. Down the road, Riot is considering partnering with an insurance company to form agreements around cybersecurity insurance products. Plans start at $200 per month for companies with up to 50 employees.

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About the Author

Samuel Steinberger

Senior Technology Editor, WealthManagement.com

Samuel Steinberger is Senior Technology Editor for Informa Connect’s WealthManagement.com. In his role, Mr. Steinberger provides the publication’s wealth and financial technology coverage. 

Mr. Steinberger’s editorial insight and familiarity with technology accelerates Informa’s growth within the financial advisor and wealth management communities, providing in-depth news for advisors and financial professionals. 

Before joining Informa Connect, Mr. Steinberger produced documentaries with former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien at Soledad O’Brien Productions (formerly Starfish Media Group). He specialized in research, shooting and editing, as well as finding distinct voices to explain topics like mental health, poverty and racial divide. 

Prior to joining Soledad O’Brien Productions, Mr. Steinberger managed multi-departmental technology projects for global legal technology leader Transperfect Legal Solutions. After obtaining his graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University, he completed his transition from technology management to media. 

Mr. Steinberger is an award-winning journalist, author and researcher who has written, edited and reported for a number of publications, including The New York Times, Financial PlanningAmerican Banker and PBS. He is founder of beverages publication Give Me Weird Drinks

Mr. Steinberger’s technology analysis and insight has been featured in several books on virtual and augmented reality. Mr. Steinberger has received awards and recognition for his reporting and research, including the American Business Media's prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award for editorial excellence.

Follow on Twitter: @slsteinberger